Mosquito virus kills 78 in a month - Indian ocean fears epidemic

[PhilipShore]

News-Medical.net
Disease/Infection News
Mosquito virus kills 78 in a month - Indian ocean fears epidemic
6-Mar-2006

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=16352

While the rest of the world panics about bird flu, the islands of Mauritius, Réunion and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean are in the grip of a mosquito-borne epidemic that has infected thousands and killed at least 78 in a month.

Madagascar has recorded the first cases of the mosquito-borne disease Chikungunya, which has caused havoc and is suspected in 93 deaths on nearby Reunion Island.

Reunion is about 500 miles (800km) east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and the presence of the infection on Madagascar puts 18 million inhabitants at risk.

The French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, has declared a state of emergency on Réunion, where 157,000 people, one in five of the population, have been affected by the disease.

[burrowowl]

1. Some birds eat mosqitoes

But if birds are killed out of panic, how many more mosquitoes will live?

[WhiteTara]

7. lots more and the real epidemic will

be helped along by these criminals who are looking to make a buck off Tamiflu

[PhilipShore]

2. Reuters: Madagascar confirms Chikungunya case (150,000 infected)

Reuters
Madagascar confirms Chikungunya case
Mar 6, 2006

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-03-06T094315Z_01_L06427979_RTRUKOC_0_US-MADAGASCAR-DISEASE.xml

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Madagascar has confirmed its first case of a crippling, mosquito-born disease that has infected more than 180,000 people across the Indian Ocean region, the World Health Organization said on Monday.

"Chikungunya" fever, for which there is no known cure or vaccine, has infected more than 150,000 people across Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion, hurting productivity and threatening vital tourist visits.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. What is Chikungunya virus? Read here...

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/msds-ftss/msds172e.html
(This is only part of the information. More at link)

NAME: Chikungunya virus

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Epidemic polyarthritis and rash, Chikungunya fever, CHIK

CHARACTERISTICS: Togaviridae (formerly group A arboviruses), genus Alphavirus; spherical, enveloped virions 60 nm in diameter, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Self limiting febrile viral disease; characterized by arthralgia or arthritis typically in the knee, ankle and small joints of the extremities, high fever, followed by a maculopapular rash; buccal and palatal enanthema can occur; nausea and vomiting may occur; mild hemorrhaging may be present especially in children; inapperent infections are common, immunity is long lasting

EPIDEMIOLOGY: Found in Africa, India, south east Asia and the Philippines

HOST RANGE: Humans, primates, other mammals, birds

INFECTIOUS DOSE: Not known

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By bite of an infective mosquito

INCUBATION PERIOD: Usually 1-12 days

COMMUNICABILITY: No evidence of person-to-person transmission

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Most likely primates

ZOONOSIS: Probable - most likely from primates which generate high viremia but manifest no disease

VECTORS: Mosquitoes - Aedes spp.
Ae. aegypti, Ae. africanus
Mansoni spp.

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: No antiviral available to date

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Sensitive to 70% ethanol, 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, Sensitive to lipid solvents

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Inactivated by moist, dry heat > 58o C; Sensitive to drying

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Unknown, less than one day in culture medium at 37o C

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; confirm by serological analysis and viral isolation in mice or tissue culture

FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Mainly supportive therapy

IMMUNIZATION: None available to date

PROPHYLAXIS: None available

[shadowknows69]

4. Anyone get the feeling

that mother earth is getting ready to shake off the virus known as man? Or at least whoop our asses down to a less dangerous level.

[havocmom]

5. Yep. She's thinking it's time to cull the herd. Too many of us.

And we have not been good tenents here.

[poverlay]

6. I've been noticing Her gathering Herself for years. When She goes we're

well and truly screwed.

[Lorien]

8. Yep. Nature will always seek balance

we've had plagues and epidemics before, we'll have plagues and epidemics again.